Chennai’s jewellery landscape gets a modern lab-grown makeover

In a city where gold has long been the measure of elegance and tradition guides jewellery choices, stepping outside familiar designs can feel audacious. Yet lab-grown diamonds, chemically and visually identical to mined stones but created with modern precision, are quietly finding their way into Chennai’s collections.

“Chennai works a little differently compared to the rest of India… it’s a little more traditional, a lot more gold-heavy,” says Darayus Mehta, founder, True Diamond. “We were always hesitant to enter a whole new market without having a strong partner who understands the city and its consumers.” That partner came in the form of Collage, the city’s premier multi-designer destination, where True Diamond is launching a curated showcase. The approach allows the brand to introduce its contemporary lab-grown designs gradually. 

True Diamond ring
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

For its Chennai debut, True Diamond is taking a measured approach. “We’ve taken a small space with a limited inventory of our top-selling concepts,” says Darayus. “We want to first get a feel for the response and then fine-tune the collection we bring here.” The edit focusses on the brand’s core strength, rings, along with select earrings and pendants, all centred around refined, solitaire-based designs that balance simplicity with statement appeal. 

Innovation sits at the core of True Diamond’s identity. The brand’s most celebrated creation is the Portuguese Cut Diamond, a proprietary 160-facet stone that Darayus describes as “one of the world’s brightest.” “A regular round diamond has 57 cuts. The Portuguese cut has over 160, which means the light plays through it far more, giving it incredible sparkle and fire,” he explains. This focus on experimentation, from complex cuts to material fusions, defines the brand’s design language. “We aren’t a traditional jewellery house. We like to play with ideas that feel a little crazy, but that’s where the fun is,” he says.

At its heart, True Diamond speaks to a new kind of jewellery buyer. Darayus notes that today’s consumers value design, meaning, and authenticity as much as they do material worth. “Jewellery has always been associated with culture, tradition, and words like ‘timeless’ and ‘elegant,’” he says. “We decided early on that we wouldn’t use those words. We want to create pieces that feel personal, relatable, and fun.”

Portuguese Cut Diamond
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

The prices start at around ₹25,000 and can go up to ₹15 lakh, depending on design and size. Darayus points out that, in India, the appeal of lab-grown diamonds is often driven more by cost than by conscience. “Globally, people choose lab-grown for sustainability reasons. In India, it’s more about access. You can now own a one-carat diamond without spending what you’d pay for a car,” he says.

For now, Chennai will see a curated selection of rings, earrings, and pendants, but the brand’s experimental spirit extends beyond what is on display. Darayus notes that the brand’s men’s line fuses titanium with gold to create lightweight, durable pieces that balance toughness with elegance — a collection that may eventually make its way to the city.

True Diamond’s collection is now available at Collage, 6, Rutland Gate, Nungambakkam.